Two Weeks 'til Dawn
by SoraxKairi7
Summary: Every summer, Sora and his family traveled to Destiny Islands for two weeks, but a certain blonde with a feisty spirit rendered him immune to the breathtaking scenery and fabulous attractions. But we're not saying any names. Collab oneshot with Painted With a Palette for the 100th reviewer to Out of Sight, theysharethesamesky!
1. Two Weeks 'til Dawn

Sora sat in the backseat of the car with his arms folded. An immature pout lingered on his face.

"This is going to be so exciting!" his mother, Aerith gushed in the front passenger seat. She eyed a colorful brochure with a borderline psychotic fascination, at least in Sora's opinion. For the past hour she was like this, and Sora only wished his phone wasn't dead so that he could tune her rambling out. "Oh, I'm just so excited!"

"You said that already," the spiky-haired brunet deadpanned, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Honey, you've pulled off a lot of amazing things in the past—," Aerith addressed her husband, who drove down the long road beneath the blazing sun, "—but I must say, another trip to the luxurious Destiny Islands has to take the cake!"

Sora scoffed, blowing his bangs out of his face. "I don't get what's so amazing about this, Mom. We come here every year."

Every time they came, his mother seemed to treat it as if it were the first. It had a highly-deserved reputation as one of the best spots for a family vacation, easily nailing the average person's top three. Its status was justified, though Sora had a love-hate relationship with the esteemed tropical island.

Ever since the tender age of four, he was dragged there by his family. For the most part, he didn't mind. One had to lack a soul if they could resist the crystal blue ocean, so lucid that the view to the bottom made him feel like he had enhanced vision. He loved feeling the world's finest sand in between his toes when he walked on the beach. The half-naked women garbed in bikinis were a nice little bonus, too. The place was simply ideal—ripped straight from a postcard, a romantic setting in a movie, or the fantasy of a novel.

But there was just one thorn in his side that made him dread it every time.

"Oh, I'm just so excited!" Aerith squealed. It was the fifteenth time she had said it—in the past five minutes. Sora counted. "I can't wait to see Aqua and the new baby! It's so nice of her and her husband to always let us stay with them. I do hope we aren't a bother, but if it's a chance we get to save money instead of checking into one of those expensive hotels, I'm all for it!"

She turned around and smiled at her son brightly, with a stern, but playful finger pointed at him. "You be on your best behavior, young man. Got it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Mom, I don't get why I couldn't have just stayed home this summer. I'm sixteen. I can handle being by myself for a few weeks."

His mother could only laugh in response, and much to Sora's chagrin, his father, Zack joined in. "Oh, come on, Dad! Not you too!"

"Sora, you can't expect us to really trust a sixteen-year-old to responsibly handle a house all by himself, now can you?"

"Aw, that's not fair, Dad." Sora pouted. "I'm like, the most responsible son you could have ever dreamed of!"

His father chuckled as he thought back to the time when Sora nearly exploded the house in attempt to fix his mother some birthday breakfast. "Nice try. Sorry, but no self-respecting parent would leave their son behind on a two-week vacation; especially not any teenager."

"Besides, you get to see your girlfriend!" his mother cooed.

"She is _so_ not my—"

"I don't see how you guys can do the long-distance thing, though. Your father and I wouldn't last a week."

Sora crossed his arms, tempted to kick his mother's seat like a child who didn't get their way. She never listened to him when they traveled. The brunet only sighed once they passed the big, obnoxious green sign with the bold, white letters: "Welcome to Destiny Islands!"

"Here we go…"

o-o-o

"It's been too long, Aqua!" Aerith squealed as the two best friends hugged for what had to be the hundredth time in the past ten minutes since Sora and company arrived. "You don't age a bit, do you?"

Aqua chuckled. "Oh, stop, it's only been a year."

Sora wanted to bash his head against the wall. He watched them from the couch, but having to watch their overly affectionate display was torture. He was starting to wonder if he should just pull out the camera and film the lesbian sex scene already.

To make it even worse, he sat next to the vilest creature in human existence. She, or rather _it,_ was called Naminé. They both sat in the nearly identical position of having their arms crossed, complemented with the body language of irritation and boredom, and frowns cast on their faces.

"Yes, but you're just in such great shape!" Aerith continued, borderline hitting on the other woman. "Especially since you just had a baby less than three months ago! How do you get your butt like that?"

"Squats, girl. Squats." Aqua winked. "Besides, Terra loves that sort of thing. I've just been working really hard to get back into my fitness. I've been slacking on my personal health for a while now. I have this program that we can do together!"

Aerith clapped. "Oh, that would just be lovely!"

If there was one thing Sora and Naminé could internally agree on, it was how awkward and uncomfortable they felt listening to their respective mothers talk about the shapes of their butts.

Zack and Terra lugged in the last of the bags, blissfully unaware of their surroundings as they headed into the kitchen.

"Where are you two going?" Aqua asked.

"Beer." It was almost eerie how in-sync they were. Aqua rolled her eyes. It seemed like all husbands were the same.

"Mom, can I like, leave now?" Naminé begged. "I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but I think I've suffered quite enough. I'm not saying any names, but a certain _someone_ in this room is making it really, _really_ hard to resist the urge to just puke my guts out all over them simply because their stupid, ungodly spiky hair that really shouldn't even be possible, and existence itself offends me personally." She sent a quick glare Sora's way. The spiky brunet barely acknowledged her. She turned back to Aerith and her mother with her eyes closed smugly. "But again, I'm not saying names."

"Oh, come now, you two," said Aqua. "Haven't you guys learned to let bygones be bygones? You're both sixteen now, I would have thought you would be able to handle this like mature adults by now."

"Why would you think _that?"_ Sora asked, looking genuinely confused. "Look! She gains a few more wrinkles every time she sees me!" Sora pointed to Naminé's face, but quickly withdrew when her shark-like teeth nearly snapped his finger in half.

Aerith shook her head. "You guys really need to learn to understand each other. It's the same thing every year." She put a hand to her chin. "Hey, I know! How about you guys take a walk around town for a bit? Just talk and actually get to know each other for once!"

Sora scratched his head. "But Mom, I thought you couldn't take dogs outside without a leash."

Naminé growled.

"That's enough, Sora!" she scolded. "That's disrespectful not only to her, but her mother as well. Now you apologize!"

Sora crossed his arms. "I'm sorry," he said. "To Miss Aqua for having to push out a demon girl like her," he then mumbled, and luckily, nobody heard it.

Sora always had a safeguard when it came to avoiding Naminé. The sleeping arrangements were more or less the same every year. Convenient enough, there were two spare guest rooms where Sora and his parents would sleep. Sora loved having his own room whenever he had to come here, simply because it meant he could avoid Naminé much easier, and vice versa.

Aerith sighed. "Sorry about him, he's usually not like this. It's only when we have to come here because, well… you know." She chuckled nervously.

Aqua nodded. "No, I totally get it."

"So, where's the baby? As soon as I saw the pictures you sent me, I started having this desire to just take the little cutie by the cheeks and eat him up!"

"Aww, you just missed him. Had to put him down for a nap not too long before you guys got here. He's sleeping in the guest room where Sora usually stays."

At that interesting, but nightmarishly scary little statement, Sora's eyes widened. "Wait, you don't mean…"

"Oh, that's right! By the way, you guys," Aqua said, chuckling a bit nervously. "Naminé, sweetie, please don't make it too big of a deal, but you're going to have to share a room with Sora for the next two weeks since your little brother is taking up space in the second guest room."

"What?!" Naminé shouted. "Mom, no! For two weeks?! You can't do this to me! What have I done to make you not love me anymore?!" She looked over at a completely still Sora, seemingly lacking emotion. "Well don't just sit there and not say anything! Aren't you just as upset about this?"

"Oh, I'm upset, alright," the brunet answered. "That's why I'm just thinking about all the ways I can effectively _kill_ myself so that I can save myself from this disaster waiting to happen."

Aqua laughed. "It'll give you two a little incentive to get along better. Really, it's high time you two learned to get over whatever you have against each other."

Naminé sat back against the sofa, folding her arms below her chest and crossing her legs.

Sora, on the other hand, bowed before both women as he desperately clung to their legs. "Please! Why do you two hate us?! Why?! Mom, can't I sleep in the room with you and Dad? Please?!"

"Of course not! You know your father and I have special massages we give each other every night!" Aerith demanded. Sora cringed at the thought. "Stop acting like a baby. I raised you better than that. Now, stop embarrassing me! You two had best get situated."

Sora rolled over to his back, dramatically spreading his body out as if he were dead. "My life... is officially... over."

"Man up, sweetie." Aerith bent over to pat his head before she and Aqua made their way into the next room. Once out of earshot, Aerith whispered, "Uh, do you really think it's safe to let two kids of the opposite sex sleep in the same room together? I mean, you know… hormones, urges, curiosity and all…"

"No worries. They're not going to go from despising each other to making love babies in the matter of two weeks. If anything, I think this will be a good experience for them." Aqua winked. "And if they do happen to make love babies, it will be a dream come true for us. We can be like real sisters!"

"Oh, yes!" Aerith jumped for joy.

For the next five minutes, Naminé sat on the couch, minding her own business while listening to Sora bitch and moan about how his life was ruined or whatever. It finally got to the point where she had to cut him off.

"Are you done yet?"

"Didn't you hear? I have to spend the next two weeks with Medusa."

"Oh, why don't you go cry to your mommy about it?" Naminé said, ignoring the unnecessary nickname. He responded with a groan. "Well, I don't know about you, but while you're sitting here being a loser, as usual, I'm gonna head upstairs. You can just stay here and do what you do best, and leave me alone, please."

Sora tried to keep his eyes from staring at her backside as she left. He had to admit that she had grown a lot since last year, though he'd never say it out loud. Damn it, why was he staring at a demon girl's butt?

A smirk traced his lips as an idea formed in his head. He kipped up from his spot and rushed past Naminé, nearly knocking her over as he carelessly bumped her shoulder. "Race you!"

Naminé hit the wall, rubbing her head and trying figure what the hell actually happened. Shaking the shock away, she sported a scowl as she hurried upstairs. "Sora, what are you doing?!"

Sora laughed as he ran down the hall. "You need to exercise them legs! Is that the best you got?"

She watched as Sora slipped into her room at the end of the hall and turned around as she breathlessly and pathetically tried to keep up. He did her the courtesy of waiting for her to catch up just so that he could slam the door right in her face and lock it.

"I win."

After a few moments of panting, Naminé realized what was happening when she tried to twist the rigid doorknob. She banged on the door, her eyes lit with fiery rage, and images of choking Sora to death swam around in her mind. "Sora, get out of my room! I swear to god, the very _last_ you want is for me to get into a bad mood! I'm going to kill you if you don't open this door right now!"

"Meh, I don't feel like it," she heard his muffled voice taunt from the other side of the door. "Wow, you got a nice looking bed here! I think I'll just lay down and take a nap!"

"You get your filthy body away from my bed! I really do not want to have to disinfect and or burn my sheets by the time I get in there!"

"Wow, you really hung up all your drawings?" He chuckled. "They really _do_ suck as much as I remember. You should keep your day job."

Naminé began kicking the door, not caring if it happened to come off the hinges.

"Oh, man! Is this your diary?"

"SORA!"

"Did all of the most cliche teen drama movies just make love and pop you out? Your room is like a mix of Twilight meets Gotham, and that's not a good thing."

"If you don't open this freaking door, I'm going to freaking murder you in your sleep!"

"So, I saw this guy at the beach yesterday," Sora read in an exaggerated high-pitched voice. "And oh my god, this boy was just so adorable, like I almost wanted to talk to him, but I'm a wimp in the face of rejection." He heard her blood-curdling screams on the other side. "Oh, what's this?" he continued. "This idiot named Sora is coming over for two flippin' weeks today, and he's such a pain. I can't stand the sight of him! When I see him I just want to rip his head off."

"You're not supposed to read that!"

"Well, that is entirely inaccurate." He grabbed a nearby pencil on her drawer and began scribbling on the page. "Let's make this based on facts now, shall we? This amazing guy named Sora is coming over today; he's such a wonderful, sweet, and upstanding guy. He is so handsome, the cutest thing I've ever seen, and just an all-around doll. He doesn't know that I secretly want his babies." With a satisfied grin, he slid the journal underneath her bed, where only he could find it. "There we go. Now _that's_ a journal entry!"

"You can't do that! That's my personal property!"

"It had my name on it. I felt entitled to correct it."

She continued her banging on the door relentlessly. "Open this door! Open this door you porcupine, son of a—"

She tripped over herself when the door opened. Sora stood over her with a bored look. "You seriously don't know how to take a joke, do you?"

"If that's what you call a 'joke', then you have some serious issues." Naminé huffed and stood from her spot, wiping her shorts off. "I was contemplating kicking your sorry butt, but now that I think of it, I won't stoop to your level." She strutted past him, flipping her hair in his face.

"Eugh, gross!" he said as he spit out imaginary locks of her hair. "What, are you trying to be Rapunzel with all that crap? FYI, ugly ducklings can't be Disney princesses."

She sent him a scowl as she began searching around to make sure he hadn't contaminated anything. "Where's my journal?"

"I dunno." Sora leapt back onto her bed, immediately settling in a comfortable position with his hands folded behind his head. "So, sleeping arrangements, I should get the bed, right? Since I'm the guest and all."

"Oh, you are _so_ not a guest!"

"So, you're saying that I'm beyond guest status? Wow Nam, didn't know you thought so highly of me, but I'm afraid I don't feel the same." He let out a deep yawn.

"I never said that. I meant that you don't even meet the guest status because all you ever do when you come here is annoy the crap out of me. Can't you go sleep outside in the dog house?"

"You're so nice to me," Sora replied unenthusiastically. "Hmm, what did our parents say? Let bygones be bygones? Yeah, that sounds good. Let's do that."

"No way in hell. Obviously, you're going to be sleeping on the floor, just like a good dog should." She waited, but no response came. She turned around to find him already snoring away as if he just got back from an overtime work shift. "Sora, you idiot!"

She tried shaking him awake but it was a hopeless cause.

"Aw," her mother cooed. She froze, as she found her watching by the doorframe. "He must be exhausted from the trip."

"Oh, real funny, Mom. So we're just going to let rodents sleep in my bed now? Tell him to get out!"

"Naminé, that's no way to treat our guest. Let the boy sleep. It's good for his well-being."

"But I don't _care_ about his well-being!"

"Come on, you can help me with the baby downstairs."

"And leave _it_ in my room all by itself?! Mom, _it_ has been messing with my stuff!"

" _He_ will be just fine! Sora is a sweet and caring young man."

Oh, how badly Naminé wanted to differ.

"Hurry up, Naminé."

" _Mooooom…"_

Naminé begrudgingly followed her mother downstairs. As the door shut behind them, Sora, who was apparently 'asleep', couldn't help but smirk.

o-o-o

Naminé pranced forth on the boardwalk of Destiny Islands with an umbrella hanging over her head. Even so, the heat wrapped around her figure like multiple layers of blankets. Sora followed behind, his forehead already beginning to moisten, with his hands tucked in his pockets. If there was one thing he hated about coming here on vacation, besides the wicked witch in all her glory, was the saturation of warmth.

"First she kicks me out of my own room to help clean up baby vomit," Naminé grumbled, "and now she kicks me out of the house to 'get some fresh air?' And to make it even worse, I'm stuck with you," she said in reference to the spiky-haired brunet who trailed behind her.

" _Oh no,"_ he mocked. " _Whatever_ shall you do? This is certainly an _emergency!"_ He grabbed his face in pretend horror before sobering up. "Deal with it. Why do you need that umbrella? It's a trillion degrees out here."

"I don't want to get skin cancer, idiot." She eyed his tan arms. "You, on the other hand, may be on your way to your deathbed way sooner than you might think."

Sora shrugged. "At least I'll be able to say I actually did stuff with my life instead of locking myself up in my room and being nothing but a stuck up—"

"Can you just not talk? It'll make this a lot easier to get through. We're just going to just walk around for fifteen minutes and we can go back home and just say we got our fresh air."

"Fine," Sora said. Naminé was surprised that he actually adhered to her wishes for once, but probably because he wanted to get this over with as much as she did.

They continued down the boardwalk, Sora secretly admiring the bright sun and the squawk of the seagulls. The ocean looked to be translucent with sparkles that glistened ever so brightly. It had a hypnotic value to it.

Naminé began to feel a little weirded out by the comfortable, yet uneasy silence between them. "You seem more quiet than usual. What, no pranks? No putting a piece of paper that says 'tramp' on my back? No cheap jokes about my artwork?"

When she received no response, she turned around and noticed Sora staring at the ocean, his expression as soft as morning splendor. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen the prick look so underwhelmingly peaceful.

"Hey, Porcupine, we don't have time to waste. Let's just get this over with so that we can go home and go back to ignoring each other's existence again."

Sora smiled, keeping his eyes set on the ocean. It was as if he didn't even hear her. He sat down on the edge and let out a blissful sigh.

Naminé rolled her eyes. He sure did have a thing for daydreaming. She decided that her legs were tired and that was the only reason she made the decision to take a seat next to him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, closing her umbrella.

"Must be nice getting to live in a place like this," he answered after about another ten seconds of silence. "Kinda makes me wish I could live out here sometimes. Of course, without you around."

She scoffed. "Typical. Can't go two seconds without having to make some jab towards me. Well, it's not all that it's cracked up to be."

He raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Destiny Islands." She sighed. "It's just a big stage production. Trust me, it's not as great as you think it is. It's like everyone here is trying to be some sort of super model—like they're in front of the camera at all times. I've never been into the island lifestyle."

"Is that why you're so pale?"

"Letting that one go," she mumbled.

"It's better than Twilight Town." Sora picked up a nearby pebble and tossed it into the ocean, watching as it pounced up every so often. "If you end up as runner-up in the struggle tournament in my town, you won't hear the end of it from the 'disciplinary committee' leader and his followers. I'd trade you Twilight Town for this place in a heartbeat."

"Don't let the sunshine fool you, it's relentless here. You wouldn't survive a week."

"Well, considering I've survived two weeks nearly every year of my life, I don't see how another week would make a difference."

She rolled her eyes. "Please. That's only because you're usually cooped up in our place all day eating our food. But out here, it's an entirely different tale. Your status depends on how you look, and if you don't look like a movie star the second you step foot out of your house, consider yourself a target."

"Big deal." Sora laid back down and folded his hands behind his head. "I couldn't care less what they think about me. Besides, I haven't heard anything from anybody, and we've been out here for ten minutes."

"Because nobody knows you."

"I haven't heard them say anything to you, either."

"Fortunately." Naminé lowered her eyes. "Lets hope it stays that way."

Sora looked up with slight curiosity. He watched as the wind caressed her hair, a hint of sadness duly noted on her expression. His eyes then wandered over to the paper with the word "tramp" on her back that he forgot he placed there five minutes ago.

"Oh…" he mumbled to himself.

"Ugh, anyway," she said with a sigh. "Come on, I wanna get back home before we get approached by any self-absorbed freaks."

Naminé noticed his genuine expression as he sat up to look at her. "Hey, Naminé…"

She almost felt entranced by his sudden disposition. "What is it?"

"Selfie!" He quickly pulled her in close and pointed the camera on his phone at them.

"S-Sora, what the hell are you-?"

"Shut up and say cheese!" He swiftly ripped off the piece of paper and tossed it to the side while she was distracted. He clicked, forgetting that the flash was on, nearly blinding them both.

Naminé rubbed her eyes. "What got into you? For a second there, I almost thought we were having a moment."

"Just trying to capture this precious moment, but then I realized that you don't show up on camera, after all."

She sent him a glare. "What?"

Sora chuckled as he got up and broke into a sprint. Naminé reached out for him, but stumbled to her feet.

"Sora! What are you… oh damn it, not this again." Naminé ran after him. "Get back here! If something happens to you, I'm the one who gets it from Mom! Now stop playing around!"

"I'll only be a minute, mother!"

She gave up when he turned the corner. It was like babysitting a little brother at times. One little brother was more than enough for her. She was about to run after him when she heard someone call her name.

"Oh, Naminé!"

Dreadful to turn around, Naminé froze in place. She knew exactly who was the source of that voice and debated on whether she should just keep running to avoid confrontation.

"Aww, is that any way to greet me? You _almost_ look as if you're not happy to see me," said the girl as she slyly put her arm around her. "I've missed terrorizing you, little Nami."

"G-Go away, Larxene."

"Oh, is that how you're going to play? Have you forgotten who you're dealing with? Having a mother on the school board committee, I don't think it's very wise to be disobedient towards me, do you?" She grabbed a few tresses of Naminé's hair and yanked her closer. "Why don't you come and hang out with me?"

"I-I have things to do. Leave me alone."

Larxene cackled, fixing the strap on her yellow, polka dot bikini. "Oh? Has the little witch finally gotten herself backbone?"

Naminé was about to respond, but the voice of another interrupted her. "Whoa, I've never seen anyone with actual antennas before. I thought my hair was weird, but it looks like you take the cake," Sora said, and then took a lick of his ice cream. "You see, I was going to have some ice cream with Naminé here, but you're kinda ruining that. So, uh, shoo. Be gone."

She scoffed. " _Please."_ She chuckled. "Am I supposed to be afraid of a little shrimp like you? Who is this, Nami, your boyfriend?" She patted his head as if to undermine him. "Run along now, let the adults have their talk."

"Adults? Are you over eighteen? If so, then sexually harassing a minor is a criminal offense. You should watch yourself."

She scoffed, setting her hands to her sides. "Sexual harassment? I'll have you know, I _have_ a boyfriend. Who are you to talk to me like that? You'll be the laughing stock in the whole neighborhood when I'm through with you."

"Can you just go away? Because only I'm allowed to make fun of Naminé." He casually grabbed Naminé's arm and pulled her away from Larxene.

She stepped up to Sora with a devious smirk, only inches away from his face. "And if I don't?"

Sora hesitated for a moment, his eyes shifting over to Naminé before returning to her. In a flash, he shoved the ice cream in Larxene's face, grabbed Naminé by the hand and rushed off.

They could hear her shrieks in the distance. "Ughh! You're gonna regret this! That goes for your dumb toy of a boyfriend too!" She wiped the goop out of her eyes and hair.

"Oh my god, Sora, she's gonna kill me!"

Sora stopped once they reached an alleyway. He looked around the corner before exploding with laughter. "Sorry, I just… did you see that face, though? Oh, wait, it was covered in ice cream!"

Naminé frowned, but she couldn't hold her stoic gaze for long. Sora's laugh was contagious, and before long, the two were howling like they had an inside joke. As their laughter died down, they simultaneously wiped their tears away.

"Don't worry. If she ever comes back, I'll put her in her place." Sora beat his chest with confidence.

She rolled her eyes, but kept a smile. "My hero," she said sarcastically. "Thanks for standing up for me, I guess."

"Oh, you thought that was for you? I just wanted to see if those antennas on her head actually moved. I wonder how much hair gel she has to use just to keep those in place."

"I ask the same thing about your hair every day."

"You think about my hair every day?"

"You know what I meant!"

Sora found her stubbornness rather amusing. "Come on, let's keep looking around." Sora laced his hands behind his head. "There's still a whole day ahead. Let's not waste it inside."

She nodded. "I guess you're right."

"If we run into bug woman again, I'll just use my super awesome repellent powers."

She shook her head. "A cornball till the bitter end."

"You know it!"

o-o-o

Nighttime came faster than expected. Thankfully, their parents took up most of the dinner updating each other on various things about their lives, as well as talking Sora up like it was some arranged marriage meeting. Sora had been hearing it for years, so by now, he was a little desensitized to it.

When it was time to hit the hay, Sora let Naminé keep the bed while he set up a sleeping bag on the floor. He eyed the journal he hid under the bed earlier that day, then grabbed his toothbrush and headed across the hall.

Sora busted into the bathroom, clad in a T-shirt and sweatpants as Naminé was brushing her teeth. The blonde jumped slightly in surprise. "Don't you knock?"

"Psh, knock? What is this, the fifties?" He pulled his toothbrush out of his sweatpants pocket.

"Oh, sorry I thought common hospitality was still a thing." She raised a brow. "Why are you in here? Did you just pull that toothbrush out of your pocket?"

"I didn't feel like waiting for you to get done, you've been in here for ten minutes. And yeah, so?"

She shook her head. "Forget it." She never understood him. "Wait, don't let that door close! It's got a bad lock on it and it might lock us in."

Sora quickly stopped the door and put his foot by the entrance. "Good save. We might have been goners."

"Knowing you, I'm surprised you didn't let it close just to mess with me."

"Are you kidding? If I get stuck in here with you, then _I'm_ the one who has to suffer."

"You _wish_ you could get locked in the bathroom with a girl."

"You're right. Oh, Scarlett Johansson, if only you were here to make this dream come true."

"Maybe you should start thinking more about what's actually in your league."

"You're not even on her level," Sora said with the toothbrush in his mouth.

"As if I care," she deadpanned. "Unlike you, I don't mind being normal."

"Normal? Ha! Okay."

Naminé shielded herself away from his toothpaste foam. "Ugh, gross! Has anyone ever told you don't brush with your mouth full?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Stop it!" She shoved him against the door, but stopped once they heard a resound click.

They froze, staring wide-eyed at each other, and the air gradually thickened as the seconds past by. Neither made a move, nor a sound. They relished in the silence, because they knew that once the other spoke, it could break out into a war of clashing verbal slurs.

But Naminé decided to try and remain calm. Maybe the door had gotten fixed since the last time her father told her about closing it? But if so, why wouldn't he have told her?

Just stay positive, just stay positive...

It wasn't easy trying to keep a clear mind, with Sora looking like he had just seen a ghost.

"Get up," Naminé demanded, the stricken look in her eyes never once fading.

Sora did as told, not because he wanted to listen to what she had to say, but because he was going to get up anyway. He wrapped his hand around the doorknob, and with a gulp and a prolonged hesitation, he twisted it.

It didn't budge.

Immediately, the duo began banging their fists against the door relentlessly, shouting for their parents on the bottom floor to get them out of there. It wasn't locked from the other side. After a few minutes of denial caused by desperation, they realized their efforts were useless.

"What the heck are they doing? Taking a nap?!"

"Now that I think about it…" Naminé trailed. "I think Mom said something about stopping by the grocery store and told me to look after Ven Ven."

"But my parents should still be down there!" But knowing his parents, they were probably goofing around, doing their _special massage rituals_ , and they wouldn't even hear them if they wanted to. Sora turned around and slid his back against the door as he slowly descended. "I'm doomed," he muffled into his hands.

"Well, how do you think I feel?" She crossed her arms. "This is all your fault!"

"Huh? Me?" He got up in her face. " _You're_ the one who went Incredible She-Hulk mode on me and pushed me against the door!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have if you weren't messing with me! Seriously, how gross can you be to spit your toothpaste foam right in my face?!"

"I was just joking around with you!" He put a hand to his forehead. "Geeze, you have no chill…"

"No chill? Your germs are slipping into my pores right now, why should I be 'chill'?"

After Naminé didn't get a response, she turned to find Sora sulking on the floor. "I left my phone on my pillow."

"Okay, so?"

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, so?" he mocked in a squeaky voice. "What are you, an idiot? It means we'll just have to wait until our parents come back."

"We were going to have to do that anyway, genius." She noticed him swaying back and forth, hugging his legs tightly to his chest. "What's wrong with you? Don't tell me you're claustrophobic…"

"No, that's not it." He shook his head. "It's just… I… I have to piss."

At that, Naminé lost all hope for humanity. "Of course you do…" She glared at him.

"What? You girls can say it openly, why can't I?" A moment of silence passed by. "Well…"

"Well?"

"Scoot over. Didn't you hear me? I gotta use it."

"What? No way!"

"I have to go! What do you _want_ me to do?"

"Hold it in. What else? I don't care if you've got Niagara freaking Falls in there, you're keeping it in until I can get out."

"Oh, that's harsh. It's not like anyone is forcing you to watch. Just close your eyes, and uh, you may have to plug your nose."

"Why?"

Sora put up two fingers. "I may have to do both."

"Oh my god, are you kidding me right now?!"

"Just kidding! Now, look away!"

"No! Listen to me, Sora, there are boundaries. _Boundaries._ Between you and I, there are lines that we do not cross. Do you know how disgusting it'll be for me to sit here and watch you take a whiz? I have enough respect for myself as a woman to not just let you pull your willy out and do… whatever it is you boys do with it! It's not like you're one of my girlfriends who's going to the bathroom with me to freshen up. No, we are sworn enemies and I will _not_ tolerate you—"

"Done." She stopped her little tangent once she heard his zip up right on cue. He flushed the toilet. "What were you saying?"

Naminé looked as if she were malfunctioning as he went over to wash his hands. "D-Did you seriously just—"

Sora turned the water off and playfully flicked some at her. "It's just absolutely adorable when you're disgusted by me." He hummed softly as he dried his hands.

Naminé felt like she could rip her hair out at any moment. What had she done to deserve this? Did she disrespect the gods of karma or something? "Do you _always_ act like a repulsive degenerate with no sense of manners? Or is that just when you're with me?"

"Just you. It's fun. I wouldn't be able to get through this trip if nothing bothered you."

"You really should not have said that," she said with a smirk.

"What, now you're going to pretend like it doesn't?" Naminé shrugged before he continued. "You're so easy to read. Everything I do annoys you. You said it yourself."

She sat down on the closed toilet seat and crossed her legs into butterfly position, her arms crossed. "You know what? After twelve years, you gotta start to learn to get used to it."

Sora scowled as he sat down by the door. "You're no fun. Why do you have to always take life so seriously?"

"So that I can balance out with the people who don't take it seriously enough—like you, for instance."

"Hey, I can be serious!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Absolutely."

"Then if we were at my birthday party, and I had a bunch of lit candles on my cake, and I said, 'I'll blow all of them at once', how would you respond?"

"That's what she said."

"Point proven!"

Sora shook his head. "Okay, I get it, maybe I'm a little bit too much of a goof, but that's okay. If you can't laugh at yourself, then you're taking yourself too seriously. And if you're taking yourself too seriously, you're gonna be miserable."

"Who do you think you are? Life isn't just a game. There are times you have to work, and there are times when you have to play. A healthy outlook on that is balance."

"Okay, then is this the time to be so serious?" he asked.

Naminé was about to answer, but the words were nonexistent. Truthfully, maybe she could be a little uptight every now and then. But she only did so because she didn't want to get caught up in the nonsense people her age generally made big deals about.

"What happened to you, Naminé? You used to be so much fun when we were kids."

"Maybe because I grew up and matured? You're still the same as ever."

"Just because you're serious and moody all the time doesn't make you mature. Learning to be happy even in the face of your trials and tribulations, looking at the positive side when things get bad—that's what makes you mature."

Naminé didn't respond, though she was impressed with his surprisingly somewhat well-rounded answer.

"You know, you blowing up on me all the time is getting kind of old. We used to be so close at first, but for the last ten years you've been nothing but insult my intelligence. Can't you just cut me some slack, just this once? If we're going to be stuck in here, we could at least try to get along. I don't want to deal with drama right now."

"Good idea, but if that was your original plan, spitting in my face wasn't exactly the best first step."

He chuckled, putting his hands up. "Alright, alright—touché."

"But does it really bother you? I thought that we both had this mutual understanding that we're sworn enemies."

Sora sighed. "Do we have to be, though? Come on, if we _really_ hated each other, I wouldn't have cared if the bug lady bothered you or not. I just… I want you to see my side of things for once."

"You have a funny way of showing it. I had no idea that you felt that way."

Sora leaned against the door with a chuckle. There was a passing, somewhat comfortable silence between them. "Why _do_ we fight all the time? For real."

Naminé put the toilet seat down and sat on top of it. "Wait, for real, for real? Or just…?"

"For real. I don't really understand why you've always been so irked with me. I haven't always been this adorable, but now that I've grown into a mature young man, I think it's time we talk this out."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "You're not being serious." Sora just smiled, not even bothering to counter her statement. "Okay, fine. It's because you're a raging jerk face who bugs me all the time."

Sora wanted to gag at the terrible insult. "And you're a self-gratifying know-it-all. We've established this." He nodded. "But truth be told… I can't even remember why we hate each other so much in the first place."

She cocked her head to the side slightly. "Well, hate is a… a really strong word, don't you think?" She rubbed her arm. "I wouldn't say I, you know, like… hate you or anything."

"So, does that mean you kinda, sorta, like me?"

"In your dreams."

"But you don't, not like me, right?"

"I _tolerate_ you, Sora. That's the best way I can describe it."

He sighed dramatically. "I'm bored with the sassy attitude. Can't you just admit that if anything, we are doing a little _more_ than just tolerating each other?"

She crossed her arms. "I dunno… it's not like we contact each other left and right. The only time I ever heard from you since last year was when you commented on my Instagram picture. What did you say again? Oh yeah, apparently I looked like a cow."

"That was my way of saying that you were pretty."

"That was totally unnecessa—wait, what?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, you're hot. I'll admit it. I mean, everything else about you is terrible, but you know, at the very least, you're good eye candy."

"Only you can go from calling me a cow to hitting on me, Sora. I'm not falling for it."

"Just because I think your personality sucks doesn't mean I don't think you're physically attractive. It doesn't mean anything."

"I guess you're right." She looked to the side to avoid her blush. "I guess, maybe, just an eeny weeny teeny beeny little bit... you're not so bad yourself," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, why didn't you say anything before?"

"I didn't have a reason to. Didn't want you getting the wrong idea."

"And what makes right now any different?"

"Because I set the record straight. Do you think I wanna be with you or something? Ha, get real! Don't let it go to your head, princess."

" _Annnnd_ he's back to normal."

He smiled as he rested his hands behind his head and looked up at the blinding lights above. "Man, we've known each other for a long time, haven't we?"

"Yup. Twelve of the worst summers of my life, thanks to you. But where did that come from?"

"We're stuck in a bathroom. It's dull, but surprisingly allows the mind to wander to all sorts of places."

"Are you trying to be deep again?"

"Hey, there's more to me than you might think." He turned to the side with a grin, but then gradually mellowed out. "Nam, I really want to know. What happened?"

She sighed. "I dunno." She put her hands to her knees. "I remember… back when we were kids, you were really sweet. You'd always buy me ice cream with your allowance, and we'd take walks together all the time. Not sure what happened to that guy."

He chuckled. "He's still here, but when you yell at me, it's kind of hard to want to do anything. Then again, I do kind of provoke it. I've just gotten so used to bugging you. It was fun for a while, but now…"

"Something happened that must have changed everything. You don't just go from being two sides of the same coin to absolutely dreading the other."

Sora crossed his arms and looked to the ceiling with a pout as he tried to come up with an exact memory of when their relationship imploded. She begrudgingly admitted to herself that it was kind of cute. Being forced to stay in an enclosed space with the one person she thought she couldn't stand actually wasn't as bad as she made it out to be.

Perhaps, maybe it really was time to put the past behind them. But then again, it's hard to move on from something when you don't know what you're moving on from, if that made any sense. It did in her head.

"Well, maybe," Sora said, looking up at her. She quickly averted her gaze with blushing cheeks. Oh god, he didn't notice her staring, did he? "Maybe we just sort of drifted apart and… you know, didn't want to admit that…"

"No. That doesn't make any sense." Naminé got up from her seat on the toilet and sat by the tub, her feet inches from Sora's. "But I can't think of anything. All I remember was that I used to always see that goofy smile of yours every summer, then one day it was just gone."

Sora's eyes lowered. "Geeze, do you have to make me feel like a convict over it?"

"I'm just saying, that's what I remember."

"Then let's go through the things that we _do_ remember."

She raised an eyebrow. "Um…?"

"I remember you used to always draw on your sketchpad. No matter how many times I would beg you to put that down and come out into the water, 'no thanks, I'll just sit here and draw instead'," he mimicked in a high-pitched voice.

"Okay, you keep doing that terrible impression of me, but moving on."

"I'd always use the last bit of my allowance to buy us sea-salt ice cream. We'd sit by the docks and just watch the sunset."

"Those were the days. Stripped clean from a cliche romantic comedy."

"Our favorite game was tag." He chuckled. "I remember you would always run out of breath, and we'd only be playing for two minutes." It seemed that little had changed, since she couldn't even keep up when chasing him down the hall or even outside.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"It was pathetic. I have to bring it back up. I remember when you built that sandcastle. You'd decorate it with seashells."

"And then you'd smash it," she deadpanned. "Claiming you were the sea king."

"Okay, _one time!_ God, you're never gonna let _me_ live that down!"

She smiled, getting a little bit closer. "But I also remember you felt bad about it and helped me rebuild it. After that, we'd look for seashells so that we could decorate it all over again."

"Oh, yeah… I _did_ do that, didn't I?" He smirked and leaned back. "I was pretty awesome, huh?"

She shook her head. "Maybe so. Just a little."

A mixture of denial and stubbornness was a strong obstacle that they had neglected to overcome. They never even thought to try and resolve their fractured relationship and find rejoice in what they lost. To say they were both childish was an understatement, and they both had to accept it.

Sora scratched his cheek, something he always did when slightly embarrassed. He didn't do it often, not anymore. Naminé missed seeing it.

"Hey… you remember that icky girl who used to always bug us?"

She quickly looked through her memories to find any image of any 'icky girls' they might have met back in the day. "What icky girl?"

"The one you hated. She had like, this black hair and would always try to get me to play with her whenever we went by the shore. I wonder what happened to her."

Naminé thought to herself for a moment. She had no recollection of any other girl injecting herself between the two of them, especially none that were synonymous with 'icky'.

After a moment, she remember short-cut black hair framing a face full of confidence, though one could say it was arrogance. "Xion!" Just the sound of that name was already making her skin boil and her fists clench. "How could I have forgotten about her? Even as a little girl she'd have her grubby little fingers all over you! I bet you she's some slut who sells her body for sex these days."

"Jeeaaalous," Sora sang.

"You know what? Maybe I am." She crossed her arms. "She would always tackle you for some reason whenever we were together and try to laugh it off like it was no big deal! We would always be minding our own business, and then suddenly she'd distract you somehow. You know what? I blame your small attention span."

He shrugged, not really caring to argue at this point.

Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "Wait a second, that's it! I remember now!"

"H-Huh? What is it?"

"The day when we first started hating each other!" She pointed at him. "We were six-years-old at the time and you came over for the summer. I asked if you wanted to go out for a walk and you said 'maybe later, I got stuff to do'."

"Uh huh…" He nodded, not really sure where she was going.

"So I decided that I'd go out for a walk by myself and sketch the ocean… and that's when I saw it! You claimed you had 'stuff to do', but I saw you and Xion with my own eyes, walking down the boardwalk, laughing like two buddies! You totally went behind my back and ditched me for her, you jerk!" She grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a bar of soap and threw it his way.

"Hey, watch it!" Sora tried to recall the memory she was referring to. "Uh, when we were six?"

"Hmph. When you got home, I wouldn't speak to you all day, remember? You got so frustrated that you hit me with that pillow. One thing led to another and it turned into a big fight, probably the worst one we've ever had."

He thought on it a little more, and then it dawned on him. "Oh! Wait, so, you've had this vendetta on me for the past ten years, because I hung out with Xion once?"

"I guess that's where it started," she huffed, crossing her arms and looking the other way. "After time, I forgot about the Xion incident, but I guess the damage she did to our friendship stayed anyway."

Sora gave a nervous laugh, leaning forward. "Are you freaking kidding me? That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I'm sorry, but you've got it all wrong."

"Former best friend leaves me for some dirty tramp, probably to go and doodle in coloring books without me. Nah, I think I got it right."

"Okay, we were six, doofus. I think you're blowing it way out of proportion. I wasn't hanging out with her because I wanted to. I needed her to help me do something nice for you."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I was thinking about getting you a paopu fruit..."

"No way. You're just making that up!"

"Why do you think I let Xion tag along? She's the one who told me she knew where they were, and being the dumb, naive six year old I was, I followed her. I'll just say, our little journey didn't lead us anywhere. Apparently, they're on some island and you have to get a whole boat just to ride out there. She knew it, she just wanted an excuse to hang out with me, I guess."

She put a hand to her heart with an expression mixed with relief, confusion, and slight guilt. "Really?"

"Maybe instead of automatically antagonizing me, you should have listened to what I had to say, goofball."

Naminé's eyes watered up, not with tears of sadness, but because she tried her to best to suppress her inevitably laughter. How ironic, the big gash in their injured friendship was all based on a lie, and it was her own fault. In her defense, she was just a kid back then.

"Wait, you wanted to share a paopu fruit with me?"

He scratched his cheek, keeping his eyes averted. "I mean… maybe."

"You do realize the romantic implications behind sharing a paopu fruit, right?"

He gulped. "Well, maybe I had… romantic reasons?"

"At six?"

Blushing, he rubbed the back of his head. "Are we going to keep repeating this?"

She chuckled, moving closer until she was sitting right next to him in front of the door. She poked him on the cheek. "So you _did_ like me, huh?"

He swiped her finger away. "Don't you understand English? It was past tense."

"Suuuurre it is."

"Hey, don't even start with that! Don't act like you didn't like me too. You're the one who was jealous over Xion."

She crossed her arms with a huff. "In a totally platonic best friend kind of way."

"If you say so." He nudged her suggestively. Naminé yawned. "Tired?"

"A little." She pointed to his shoulder. "Can I borrow this?"

"I mean…" Before he could formulate a sentence, she was already leaning against his shoulder as if he were a pillow.

"Wow, you're easy."

"Shut up." She slapped his chest. "If we're gonna be stuck here all night, I might as well make good use of you."

"Good use of me, huh?"

"I rather lose a piece of my dignity and lean against your shoulder than sleep on this floor. It's cold in here."

Sora shrugged and decided to wrap an arm around her. "I know another way we can make… body heat…" He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just have a wet dream about it instead? Since that's closest you're gonna get to it."

"I'll take you up on that offer."

"You're disgusting."

"How do we go from hating each other to being locked inside of a bathroom, leaning on each other to go to sleep?"

"I guess our relationship is just bipolar like that," she responded tiredly.

Sora smiled to himself and shut his eyes. "Goodnight, Nam."

"Goodnight, idiot."

Sora let out a heavy sigh. She was probably right that this might be the closest he may get with her, though, he liked to blame his indulgence in any sexual activity with her as just out of pure curiosity as to what it might be like.

He was about to drift off until he felt the door rattle. It sounded like a lock being fiddled with. Before he could get up to look around, the door behind them swung open and the two were sent flying back, hitting the back of their heads against the hallway floor.

After rubbing off the initial headaches, they looked up to find Zack staring down at them with a slightly confused, but uninterested expression.

"Really?"

The two hurried to their feet.

"First of all, it's not what it looks like!" Sora exclaimed. "And second of all, we're saved!" He threw his arms around his dad.

Naminé maintained a look of slight impatience. "Damn it," she mumbled underneath her breath.

"I really don't want to be a grandfather just yet."

"If I told you that it's seriously not what you think, you're not going to listen to me, are you?" Sora asked, slumping his shoulders.

"Nope. The fact that you have to repeat it makes your statement a lot less plausible."

"And thus, the day my life is ruined until I have to go to college."

"You? College?" Naminé jested. "I never would have guessed."

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Zack smirked as he crossed his arms. These two never changed. "Get to bed, you two. I need the bathroom."

The two hurried down the hallway as fast as they could before Zack could make a joke about—

"And I better not hear any funny business going on in there!"

Too late.

"Whose idea was it to put two teenagers with hormones in the same room together anyway?"

o-o-o

It had been nearly two weeks since that day they spent together in the bathroom.

Since then, they mutually agreed to let the past go, and look ahead into the future. Initially, to say 'friends' was still too much of a strong word for either them, especially after ten long years of resentment towards the other.

They figured to start out slow and pick it up where they left off ten years ago. They took walks together and Sora would buy them some sea-salt ice cream. They even tried building another sandcastle just for fun. It wasn't long before things felt oddly reminiscent from what felt like a much distant past, and the groove of friendship had slowly, but surely settled back in.

Now Sora and Naminé sat on top of a bent paopu fruit tree on the last day before Sora would have to leave the islands, casting shadows down on the ocean below. They could see the town from there; it looked like a mere speck when spotted from their distance, against the great blue divider. They gazed off into the sunset, which dazzled a mix of blue, yellow and orange hues.

"It's funny," Naminé said, breaking the silence. "This is literally the first time we've actually gotten along in ten years, and all this time, I guess I never actually took the time to get to know you. I have to wonder, just who are you, Sora?"

"Who am I?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm awesome. Who are you?"

"I wonder…" She looked at her hands. "Sometimes, I don't really know who I am. I've forced myself to stay cooped up in my room all day so that I wouldn't have to face all of the jerks running around in this town. But I can't really say for sure what makes me… me."

Sora crossed his arms, closing his eyes, as if in deep thought. "I'll tell you who you are. You're sensitive, reserved, and you have your own way of doing things. But at your core, you're stubborn. You like cooking, even though you kinda stink at it. Your instagram pictures of all the food you apparently made? Your mom made those. But you like to make yourself look good, at least from what I can tell online."

Naminé didn't look very amused. "Gee, thanks."

"But that tells me that you're insecure." She opened her mouth to object, but he beat her to the punch. "I know, you'll say you're not, but… I think you should just stop worrying so much. Even though I've had to put up with you for the past twelve years, under all that anger, you're not so bad." He paused, dangling his legs. "Heh. Who knew that getting locked in a bathroom was what it took to come to this?"

She knew he was right, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to admit it. "Just go ahead and tell me my fortune too, why don't ya?"

He chuckled, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "Honestly, the reason why I always played pranks and teased you was because, well, I knew you weren't really mad at me. You're an enabler, Naminé. You enabled this behavior." He grinned, folding his hands behind his chocolate spiky hair.

"Oh, so it's all my fault?"

"Of course." He stuck his tongue out at her.

Naminé stared at the town. Maybe it was high time she accepted her own mistakes. She developed a bad habit of making it seem like everything that was wrong with their relationship was purely Sora's doing.

Maybe it truly was that stubborn pride Sora kept referencing. She never paid it too much mind, but she could see now, not letting Sora explain himself that day really took its toll, and she had the past ten years to show for it. And even if she did, she couldn't guarantee if she'd even believe him at the time.

"So, do you really think my drawings suck?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"It's better than anything I can do, though," he recovered with a chuckle. "I'll give you that. I think you're pretty good when it comes to landscapes, at least, but drawing people? You may need to work on it. Still, you have way more artistic talent than me."

"Well, you have some talents, too. Even though you're a jerk to me, you're a really nice person, Sora. You make friends really easily."

"That's not really a talent."

"At least it's _something."_

He grinned. "It's called confidence." He nudges her on the shoulder. "When you like yourself, others will like you too."

"What makes you think I don't like myself?"

He could see right through her. "It's plain on your face, Naminé. I hope you never took my insults to heart. I really don't think you look like a cow, or an ugly duckling, or any other bad name I've ever called you. Not even close. Your personality doesn't suck, either."

"Really?"

He crossed his arms as he watched his feet swing. "Honestly, I think you're beautiful."

"S-Sora…" He admitted that he found her 'hot' before, but beautiful seemed to be on an entirely different level that she didn't see coming. "You sure do come on strong."

He rubbed the back of his head. "So… I was thinking, maybe we could test the paopu fruit theory." He plucked one of the star-shaped fruits beside him. "You know, maybe share one? I've always been a little... curious."

"Again, romantic implications."

"Again, possible romantic reasons."

She hid her blush, but maintained a smile. "Well, what's the hold up then? Let's try it."

Sora held it awkwardly with both hands, his head tilted to the side. "So… how exactly do we do this?"

"I guess we just split it in half, and apparently it doesn't work unless we both eat it at the same time. At least, that's what my parents told me."

"This is really silly, but you know, for whatever reason I still wanna try it for, uh… research."

She giggled. "Right, 'research.'" She made quotation gestures with her fingers.

Sora broke the fruit in two, though, he hesitated before giving her the second piece. "You want this?"

"Duh. I thought we were sharing?"

He held it up high. "You'll have to reach for it!"

"Come on, Sora! Please don't go back to being an idiot again."

"Fine." He chuckled, handing her the piece. "Okay, here we go. Let's see if the legend is true."

"I'm feeling a little nervous…"

"Why? We're just eating fruit."

"Yeah, but with a deeper meaning behind it…"

"Don't be such a wuss. Come on, on three, okay?"

She nodded.

"One, two... three!"

They both took a bite, only to spit it right back out the second it hit their taste buds.

"Oh, damn! That is sour!" Sora whined, desperate to rid himself of the remnants from his mouth.

"Ugh, I know!" Naminé agreed. "Judging by how it looks, you'd think it was the best thing ever."

"Just goes to show that just because it's pretty on the outside, doesn't always mean it's so great on the inside." Sora gagged. "Kinda reminds me of how I've been looking at you for the past ten years."

Could he not go a second without messing with her? "Whatever."

"Mind if I throw this out? I can't eat this anymore."

"No, I'm so with you on that." She thought to herself for a moment. "Let's see who can throw it in the ocean the furthest!"

Sora was never one to back down from a challenge. "You're on, princess." They both hopped off the tree and looked over the ledge. "Ladies first." He bowed before her, presenting the ocean to her.

"Naturally." She mustered up all of the strength she had in her arm, before chucking the piece of half fruit into the water. It didn't go very far, but she still felt pretty triumphant about it.

"Is that it?" Sora laughed. "Step aside. Let the master show you how it's done."

She rolled her eyes. "Show me, then, dear master."

"Watch and learn." He rolled up his sleeves, wounding up his arms obnoxiously. He then pulled his arm back, but just as he was about to throw it, Naminé ran up from behind and caught him in a hug.

"Got you!"

"H-Huh?!" It resulted in him dropping the fruit over the ledge at a pathetic distance. "Aw, did I seriously just lose?"

He noticed Naminé wasn't letting go.

"Uh… Naminé?"

Instead of responding, she held on a little tighter.

"Sora, I don't want you to go! I just… it gets lonely being by myself all the time…"

Sora placed his hands gently over hers, his mind racing as he processed the situation. He could no longer blame the heat of the sun anymore, and any chance of communication was shot due to his scratchy throat. He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his chest.

"It's just nice to have someone to talk to… it's nice to have someone where… I'm not afraid to be myself. I just wanted to hide the fact that… that…"

"It's okay, Nam," he cut off with a soft whisper, turning his head to the side. "I like you, too."

He nearly winced at her glossy eyes. Funny how far it felt they came in two weeks. "R-Really?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I guess I always have in some way or another." He hesitated, casting his gaze to the side. "But… maybe it's best we keep it at that?"

Legend has it, to this day, one could hear the sound of Naminé's shattering heart from a mile away.

"I just," he continued, "I think it'd be really hard. Do you really want to take a chance on long distance? I don't know if I can date someone that I can only see for two weeks out an entire year, you know what I mean?"

"Well, this is embarrassing." She broke apart from him and tucked some hair behind her ear. "Not sure how things just got so serious, but uh… I guess you're right."

"Doesn't mean I'll stop thinking about you, though." He smiled, and she reluctantly smiled back. "I just want you to know that you'll always be very important to me. If you need anything, I'm just phone call away."

She nodded. "Of course!" Her bubbly disposition faded only moments after it appeared. "Then I guess this is… goodbye, til next year, at least."

He shook his head. "No, not goodbye! One of these days, maybe we can be together. And then there'll be no lies, no fake feelings, no stubborn pride. We're gonna be friends, for real. Promise me, Naminé."

He held out his pinky, and although Naminé felt a little childish, she locked pinkies with him anyway. "Why does it feel like we're breaking up, even though we're not even together?"

He chuckled sadly. "I'm not sure." The sky began to fade into a warm hue of ebony. Sora was surprised he hadn't been keeping track of the time. "Hey, um, It's getting a little late. Wanna head back?" He flashed a smile and patted his stomach, attempting to lighten the mood. "I'm starved!"

"Sure." She replied, shyly folding her hands behind her back. "I think Mom made your favorite—lasagna with pickles."

His eyes widened. "Then why the hell are we still here?" He sprinted off towards the dock. "Race you to the boat!"

Dumbfounded, Naminé struggled to keep up once again. But at the same time, she wouldn't have had it any other way.

"He-Hey! Sora, get back here!"

o-o-o

As the two made it back in the house, their families were already gathered around the table. Terra fed little Ven spoonfuls of baby food. Sora hated baby food. He felt bad for the poor fella for having to chug it down without a choice.

"Well, you two were out late," said Aqua. "Where did you guys go?"

"We were on the island," Naminé admitted.

"Go on and get washed up you two! I know you guys are hungry. Especially you, Sora!"

"Of course!"

Well, that was easy. Naminé was half expecting some kind of suggestive comment to come their way. They entered the downstairs bathroom and washed their hands. Sora flicked some water on her face.

"Once a doofus, always a doofus," she smirked.

"You think just because I admit that I kinda like you that I'll stop messing with you?" He laughed. "Get real."

"Get real," she mocked. "What is that? Your catchphrase?" As Naminé made her way out, Sora gently grabbed her arm. He examined the door behind her for a moment.

"It won't lock on us, will it?"

"Nope, that's just the upstairs one."

"Ah, okay." Before she could ask why, her back hit the door shut and she felt his lips press against hers. Her body flourished in warmth and her knees nearly buckled as Sora deepened the kiss.

As they broke apart, she whimpered slightly. "I was too chicken to do that on the island. The bathroom seems to be where all the weird shit happens, anyway."

He winked before making his way past her. Naminé was suspended in slight disbelief, her body rigid and unmoving. So many thoughts transcended through her mind at once that she couldn't even process all of it. Did that really just happen?

"Well, that escalated quickly…"

The two returned to the table, both wearing a noticeable glow. Naminé was practically surrounded with love bubbles, trying to contain her blush.

"Aerith, Zack, why don't you tell them the big news?" Aqua asked.

"Oh no, you're not pregnant, are you?" Sora whined.

"No," Aerith answered honestly. "Is she?" She pointed to Naminé, almost frighteningly hopeful.

"NO!" the blonde and brunet said in unison.

Terra gave Sora a toothy grin, though the severe gnashing of his teeth said otherwise. "I'll kill you if she is."

Sora shuddered, scooting away from him. "I promise."

"Okay, we'll tell them. Zack?"

He nodded. "Sora, your mother and I decided to stay here."

o-o-o  
o-o-o

 **Sinful Serenata** : This was a custom oneshot collab for the 100th reviewer of Out of Sight, _**theysharethesamesky!**_ We are always so thankful for those that support us, so despite my little writing funk, my good friend, Palette, really pulled through for this. Anyway, _theysharethesamesky_ , I really hope you enjoyed this, as well as anyone else that read through it. Thanks so much for always taking the time to write your thoughts, and them being elaborate at that! We always look forward to your reviews, girl! That goes for everyone, though. Follow, Fav, review, we really appreciate it!

 **Painted With a Palette:** Took us long enough, huh? Sorry about that! We kinda couldn't find much time to get to this for the past month, but we finally got it done. 11,000 words! So yeah, our long wait is somewhat justified XD sorry if it's a little too long, but that may be why it may feel like Sora and Namine's relationship was rushed, when really it was two weeks. Anyway, this is just a big thank you for leaving a review nearly every chapter, so this is to show some appreciation (even though you can thank Sin for the idea since it's her tradition). Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. We'll Meet Again

This is a separate oneshot from the SoNami one written exclusively by Painted With a Palette!

o-o-o

Terra stood before the young boy, proud yet he carried an unspoken sorrow. Young Riku could sense this, even at the sensitive, impressionable age of five. But he admired his physique; it exuded the standard he set for himself to one day escape this tiny world and find the strength he needed to protect his friends.

The sun began to set, and the sky was saturated with dabs of purple fused with light rays of orange. How much Ventus and Aqua would have loved it there, Terra continuously thought to himself.

He saw himself in the face of this young boy with sleek silvery locks, who wielded an air of maturity and a heart and soul that were beyond his years. The light that guided Terra here emanated strongly from this fascinating rarity in the form of a mere lad. Selfless, he was ready to bear the burden. To protect the things that mattered...

"You know, like my friends," the boy said with a smile brimmed to bottom with assurance. In that moment, Terra knew.

Riku watched with eyes struck with admiration as the young man held out his hand; quick flashes of light orbited around his hand until it materialized a lustrous blade in the shape of a key. A dark brown led up to the teeth, and the handle was blue.

Terra, smiling proudly, bent down and pointed the handle towards his successor.

"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

Riku knew little of the journey awaiting him through this simple act of wrapping his inexperienced fingers around the stem. Immediately, something felt a little different. He plunged into thoughts of the possibilities that this strange man spoke of. What did this mean for him in the future? Did it mean that maybe someday he really would have the way to wield a mysterious blade such as this?

"Rikuuuu!"

He snaps out of it. Riku takes hold of his surroundings and allows reality to sink in once again. He resides on the islands, though the sun is wide awake and the sky pure of many clouds.

He looks ahead to find his best friend tapping his foot, his left holding a wooden sword. He wears a plain white tee with blue lining around the sleeves, and brown sandals with yellow straps. He bears a suspicious squint. "Come on, Riku! Get with the program! That's the millionth time you've zoned out today!" He pouts.

Riku rubs the back of his head. "Oh—sorry." He chuckles. His mind seemed to repeatedly wander back to about a month ago. His eyes meander behind Sora where she is perched.

That girl—she appeared only two weeks ago without warning and the mayor has already taken her in. Young Riku thinks it's funny how her heart-shaped face is already becoming a staple among the islands and those who dwell here; round cheeks that glow of innocence, crystal blue eyes that desire adventure, and a smile that could put wars to rest.

Riku keeps his suspicions to himself. He doesn't want to burst Sora's bubble. He can tell when that goofy kid has a crush on a girl, no matter how much he may deny it. But where exactly did she come from? She was never on the main island before that day and she didn't seem to have any local relatives. Could she really have been from another world?

He breaks free from his thoughts as Sora buckles into his battle stance. "Enough standin' around—let's do this!"

That's right; they are supposed to be sparring together. Riku holds his wooden sword above his body and his hand extended. A faint smirk graces his lips.

Sora looks back to Kairi. "Watch this, Kairi!" He charges with his two hands gripped tightly around his wooden sword. Riku doesn't budge. He waits until Sora catches up—already parrying whatever Sora has to dish. Their swords echo sharp wooden clonks at each clash.

It's no secret that Riku can usually outdo Sora in anything competitively. Riku has already grown aware of Sora's impulsive and reckless method of attack. As long as he waits for him to leave himself open, he can make his move.

Kairi watches from the sidelines, cheering the two on as if it's a contest for anything more than petty bragging rights. "Do your best, you guys!" Although, she secretly roots for Sora.

Sora steps back to breathe. His relentless assault always left him tired out, meaning that it's about time for Riku to end this.

"Giving up already?" Riku asks with a sneer. "Come on, Sora."

Sora growls with clenched fists. His best friend's cockiness could be annoying at times. "Get real!"

Sora draws near and uses both hands to whip his sword down for a two-handed finish, but Riku spins out of the way. With Sora open and defenseless, Riku brings on the pain and strikes him to the ground.

The defeated brunet rubs the back of his head, trying to suppress the aching. "Aw, man! I thought I had you that time..."

Riku lends a hand and helps the naïve boy to his feet.

"Stop being so good, Riku!" Sora pouts with his arms crossed. "What's your secret?"

Riku shrugs. "Not sure. It helps not being a total wimp like you, though."

Riku laughs at Sora's dropped jaw. "Hey!" Sora says. They stop upon noticing a certain redhead's approach. "Hey, Kairi! Did you see me out there?"

"Yeah, I did! You two are getting better every day."

"I am?" Sora looks to her excitedly. "You hear that, Riku? I'm gonna be up there with you pretty soon! Just you wait!"

Riku rolls his eyes. "I'll be waiting ten years from now."

Young Sora doesn't shy away from getting up close and personal to Riku with a competitive grin. "Say that again!" Ethereal giggles from the delicate redhead snap them out of their playful bickering. Riku merely crosses his arms while Sora scratches his head. "I don't get it. What's so funny?" the brunet asks.

She shakes her head. "You two would make the weirdest brothers, that's all."

Sora isn't sure where that came from, but he accepts it and smiles back. Riku subtly examines the fresh glow that lingers on his best friend's face. It's almost like he's been caught under some kind of magic spell. But Riku isn't falling for it. Unlike Sora, Riku was a bit more reluctant to allow this Kairi to turn their duo into a trio.

Kairi claimed that she doesn't remember much of her past or where she came from—only dusty memories trapped in a misty blur.

Riku is determined to solve the mystery behind this Kairi. Maybe it'll sprout a clue as to how he can escape such a tiny world. As much as he loves playing with his friends, he slowly grows bored of the daily routine.

As the day passed on and the sun began to mellow out from its radiance, the three decided to end their long day by sunset gazing on the paopu fruit tree.

"Hey, Kairi," Sora asks the girl to his right, dangling his legs over the curved branch, "do you like the islands so far?"

"It's great!" Kairi answers. "Everyone has been so nice; it feels like I'm right at home."

"That's good," Sora says. "Say, do you remember anything about your hometown now?"

Kairi looks to the ocean as a weary breath passes by. "No. I still can't remember anything."

Sora lowers his head in response to the disappointing answer. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

Kairi shakes off the melancholy and brightens the atmosphere with one of her dazzling smiles. "Aw, don't worry about it. I'm happy here! Even if I do remember where I came from, I think I'd stay here."

"Really?" asks Riku.

Kairi looks over to him with surprise, but still flashes a beam. He had been quiet for a little while, she's just glad he can actually talk. "Yeah! Something about this place makes me feel like I belong here."

Riku only hums in agreement.

"But would you ever want to go back?" Sora inquires.

She lowers her eyebrows. "I don't know."

Sora crosses his arms and closes his eyes to think for a second. "Well, whatever happens, just know that I'll be there for you no matter what!"

She gasps, but then softens into a smile. "Sora..."

Sora scratches his cheek. Oh, Riku can tell, the boy has it bad. He silently admires Sora's compassion for others and how easily he seems to make connections with others in such short amounts of time.

"Hey, what do you guys wanna be when you grow up?" Sora asks. The two look at him slightly perplexed.

"Where'd that come from?" Riku asks.

"Hmmm... just came to my mind!"

"I dunno," Kairi admits. "What do you want to be when you grow up, Sora?"

Sora hops off the tree and points to himself with a thumb. "I dunno, either. But you know, I kinda think bein' a superhero would be cool!"

Riku scoffs in good humor as Kairi stares in awe. "A superhero? What kind of superhero?" she asks.

"The awesome kind!"

"Ooohhh..." Kairi is genuinely fascinated by the idea.

Sora picks up his wooden sword and pretends to slash at invisible monsters. "I wanna be the coolest superhero in the world. And I'll have the best super powers and everything! And a cape!"

"That sounds fun," Kairi says with enthusiasm.

"You? A superhero?" Riku rolls his eyes. "How do you plan on making that happen?" he challenges.

"I'm thinkin' either find a spider to bite me or just send myself away to another planet." He grins, thinking his plan is foolproof.

Riku keeps a smug look. "I guess so."

Sora frowns. "Oh, there you go again! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"What about you, Riku?" Kairi asks. "What would you like to be when you grow up?"

Unlike the other two, Riku knows exactly what he wants to be when he gets older. He thinks back to his conversation with the young man who wielded the key. "Well, I guess you could say I want to be strong one day, so that I can protect the things that matter to me the most."

Kairi raises an eyebrow slightly.

"Outside this tiny world is a much bigger one."

"And... I wanna get out more," Riku continues. "See new worlds and go on adventures. I know they're out there somewhere."

Sora scratches his head. Kairi looks to him for answers, but Sora only shrugs. "Don't look at me. Riku just says some weird stuff sometimes."

"Hey, cut it out," the silver-haired boy says with a chuckle. He looks at his hand and remembers that weird blade that swordsman carried...or was it a key? The resiliency to let them in on his secret grows stronger by the minute, but he made a promise and he will keep it, no matter what.

He leaps from the paopu fruit tree and walks near the edge, not once taking his sight away from his palm.

"One day, I'm gonna find the strength I need." He turns his head halfway. "Maybe when we're older, we can find some real adventures. Not this kid stuff we do all day."

Sora nods as he folds his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I remember you saying something like that in the secret place one day."

Kairi tilts her head to the side. "Secret place…?"

"It's this really cool—" Sora stops, remembering that he and Riku are supposed to be keeping it a secret. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you…"

Riku looks to the side. Maybe there isn't much harm in letting her know about the secret place. She is one of them, after all. And although Riku is suspicious of her, she seems harmless.

"You're like the best secret keeper in the world, right?" Riku asks Sora sarcastically.

Sora rubs the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Come on, Riku. Kairi's one of us now. There's nothing wrong showing her the secret place, is it?"

Kairi seems oblivious and left out from the conversation entirely. Yeah, Kairi wouldn't hurt a fly. "Well, I guess it's okay."

Sora punches the air. "Alright!" Kairi drops down from the tree with a confused look as Sora takes her by the hand. "Come on!"

"Sora," Riku says before Sora can run off. "Just promise me something."

Sora's excitement dies down a little, taking note of how serious his best friend seems to be. "Okay."

"One day, we're gonna go see new worlds and find our own adventures, right?"

"Sure!"

Riku smiles. "Then, can I count on you to be there with me whenever that actually happens?"

Sora, not really sure what Riku is talking about, decides to just roll with it. "Of course! If that's what you want."

Riku nods. "Okay." Just before Sora can run off, he stops him. "Oh, and Sora!"

"Yeah?"

"Sora and Kairi sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Kairi giggles at Sora's blushing face. "Be quiet, Riku!" he yells before running off.

As they leave, and once his laughter dies down, Riku looks up to the sky. The stars begin to flicker, and he remembers that he once heard of the many worlds represented by each and every one of those stars. He'd find a way to go and see them, someday.

Someday, he'll be free.

o-o-o

The line between sleep and consciousness seems too thick for poor Riku to get any shuteye. Thoughts of adventures and Keyblades keep his mind from being able to efficiently shut down.

His hands are tied behind his head as he sinks into his pillow, staring at the ceiling uninterestedly. He looks over out the window, observing the cluster of twinkles lighting up the night sky. He plants his palm against his window with a gentle, but longing touch.

It seems like his yearning for the outside world is a long way off; if only he could make his dreams come true right now. If only that man with the key-shaped blade had told him what he needed to do. He wonders if there is a way to contact him somehow. He has so many questions. How exactly did he travel from world to world? Is there certain equipment he might need? Was there anything he should be thinking to prepare himself for?

Riku needs answers, and he needs them now! Just sitting here is never going to change a thing. It's the same old stuff, day in and day out. But he knows that he's not ready to take on such a task yet. Besides, he wants to venture out with Sora at his side, and that goofy kid certainly isn't ready for it. He didn't even notice the keyhole they found in the secret place last week.

He couldn't keep this bottled inside forever, but he didn't want to let the magic wear off like the mysterious guy said.

They say that every world is connected by one big sky. His mind wanders back to a few weeks ago when Sora opened his heart and listened to someone's hurt. He closes his eyes and puts a fist close to his chest.

Maybe... if he opens his heart, would he be able to find a way to get in contact with that man?

No. It's no use. Riku doesn't feel a thing.

Riku sighs as he plops back down on his bed. He knows he's too young to be thinking about other worlds, yet something in his heart calls him to it.

The only other person who might understand is...her.

o-o-o

Riku crosses his arms and chuckles.

He comes into the secret place this afternoon and what does he find? Two crudely drawn sketches of what seems to be Sora and Kairi sketched on one of the rocks. They must have done this last night after those two lovebirds left him by the paopu tree.

As much as it tickled him, it isn't why he came here. He looks over to the door where the keyhole remains with a perpetual glow. Funnily enough, when he and Sora discovered this place three weeks ago, the brunet didn't seem to recognize the obnoxious keyhole. To Riku, it's painfully evident. Did this have something to do with that simple act of taking?

He hears feathery footsteps making haste inside the place. It must be Sora. Riku already prepares all the teasing and jokes that Sora had coming to him regarding these cute little portraits.

"Sora, look what I found from you and your girl—"

But Riku stops once he turns around to see, not his hyperactive partner-in-crime, but instead the uncanny little redhead.

"Oh," Riku says to break the silence. "Hey."

Kairi smiles in response. "Hi!" She seems oblivious of the other boy's slight awkwardness. "What are you doing in here?"

Riku peers behind to take a look at the door. "Nothing, just exploring, I guess. How about you?"

"Same for me, too." She extends her hand to show him the seashells she had been collecting. "See? Aren't they pretty? I came here to see if I can find any more of these!"

"Oh. That's nice." Riku rubs the back of his head. "Well, I better get going. Is Sora here?"

He notices her face scrunch slightly. "No. I haven't seen him yet."

"Okay. I'll go look for him. He's probably out there taking a nap or something."

Riku makes his way out, trying to think of all the possible places that slacker might be wasting his day away sleeping, before he heard a slight sniffle from behind.

"Hey, Riku..."

He stops, not thinking too much about her solemn tone. "Huh?"

She turns to him, fiddling with her fingers slightly, with an expression that almost looks as if embarrassed or guilty for a crime she hadn't a clue that she committed. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

Riku takes a step back. "What?" Already, he finds himself curious as to how she came to this conclusion. He'll admit that maybe he hasn't been the friendliest towards her these past few weeks since she's been here, but he figured that she and Sora may be more suited together anyway. And he was right; they fit together like a glove. As far as he's concerned, Kairi hadn't been paying him a thought. So where is this coming from?

She lightly grazes the bottom of her large white shoes against the rugged sand. "Did I upset you?"

Young Riku chuckles as he turns his body to face her. "No. What makes you think that?"

She shrugs. "It seemed like you didn't want me around or something. Is it because of Sora?"

He folds his arms to think for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I don't think so."

Kairi lets out a sigh of relief—a hand to her chest. "That's good!"

A brief moment of silence passes, more so because Riku is still trying to conjure his words. "So, Kairi, you really don't remember anything about where you came from?"

Kairi grows a bit weary of all the interrogation-like questions it seems that everyone has asked her as of late. Though, she doesn't let it bother her and only tries to think back for any possible clue about her now cloudy past. As she expects, she comes back empty-handed. "No, I really don't. I'm sorry."

"That's too bad," Riku says with slight disappointment in his voice evident. "It's just—I really wanna see the outside world. And...I guess the way you kinda just showed up on the main island just got me a bit more excited to see what's actually out there."

Kairi keeps her eyes locked to the ground and her arms laced behind her back. Her shoes quietly continue to scrape the sand. "Why do you like the outside world so much?"

"Hmm... I dunno. I guess it's just what's in my heart." He smiles.

It's the first time Kairi has actually seen that smile, and if not, then it is definitely the first time it's been directed at her. It seems that his one smile allowed the air to become lighter and she herself eases into the delicate atmosphere.

"Your heart?"

"I know that strength of heart is what I need to find my way." He looks to her with confidence, but this time, Kairi feels like it's a conversation between two friends who hadn't been in contact for a little while. All this time, it seemed that Sora was the glue that bound them together—they are both friends of Sora, but not necessarily each other. Come to think of it, this might have been their first time alone together.

Happy that it seems that Riku doesn't hate her, she nods and flashes a toothy grin. "Of course!" she exclaims. "I know that one day you'll find it!"

"You think so?"

"Sure! If it's that important to you, then I think you should just let your heart do the talking!"

Riku didn't expect to hear an answer like that from her. He's used to being known as the kid who seems to be a bit more ahead of his years than his simple-minded peers. Maybe this girl really is something special. "You know, I met a friend who came from the outside world a couple weeks ago."

"Oh?"

He stares at his hand. Part of him isn't even sure why he's telling her this. "He gave me something that I need to hold onto, but it's hard because I gotta keep it a secret. I wish I could ask him what I'm supposed to do." He crosses his arms and looks up to the glaring light that pierces in through the top, as if it would give him some kind of answer.

"What did he give you? A toy?!"

With a smile, he shakes his head. "No. I gotta keep it a secret but...I guess you could say he gave me the strength that I need to protect the things that matter."

"Wow, that sounds cool! Where is this guy now?"

He shrugs, his face turning somber. "That's what I don't know."

"Hmmm," Kairi hums to herself, brainstorming any ideas that may help. Before long, she's stricken with a revelation. "Hey, I know! Why don't you send him a letter?"

"A letter? But—how would I do that?"

"You stick it in a bottle and put it in the ocean. That way, it can go to the person that you're looking for!"

Riku rubs the back of his head. "I'm not sure. He's probably somewhere very far away."

"Don't worry about it!" She takes him by the hands. "If he's out there somewhere, he will get it! Trust me. I just know it will!"

"How can you be so sure?"

She puts her hands to her sides, her lip pouting slightly. "Aww, don't act like that! You just have to believe, that's all!"

"Just...believe..."

"Uh huh!"

"Heh." Riku put his hands to his hips. "Okay. I'll try it."

o-o-o

That evening, Riku walks up to the smooth shore of the islands. Dark, thick clouds idle against a navy blue backdrop. A soft breeze spins through his hair and he takes a deep breath. In one hand, he holds a bottle and in the other, a letter with crude handwriting.

He unravels the paper to look over his message one last time.

Dear Mister Man,

Wherevrr yu r I hope thAt may be 1 dAy I cAn find the strenth that yu have gave me to fight for my frends. But I dont know how to use it propurly and would like to kno how Im sposed to use it. And how do yu travel from world to world? I really do think it amazing and hope that may be some day I will be abe to find yu. May be then yu can teach me how to use a weird sword like yours. I just dont know what I am suposed to do and I really want to see other worlds.

It feels like Im stuck here sometimes and all I want to do is be strong. How did yu find your strength? I know that I am still a kid I gess, but somthing in my hart just knows that I will find my light if I can jus go too the outside world.

I' have kept our secret too, but it has been really hard. I did not tell the friend yu saw by the docks the last time yu visit, but I did tell anather friend of mine well not really but sortof. I told her a friend which is yu gave me the strength that I need. I shure hope that the magic still will not wear off.

Yu sed that if I could use the key, I will find you. I will be waiiting til that day comes and I hope that when that day comes that we will be friends when that day comes. I just want to know what am I suposed to do with this power? ThAnk yu for evrything. I can not wait til the day we meet again.

This world is just too small.

Riku

Riku looks over it with a proud smile. He rolls it up and sticks it into the bottle, closing it off with a cap.

"Here goes nothing..."

He sets the bottle in the ocean and watches the currents carry it to its destination. All he has to do is believe and surely the letter will find its way, right?

He plops to the sand and hugs his legs. Gradually, he begins to lose sight of the bottle in the distance, as the once soft currents of the sea grow more violent. They sway up and down at an increasing velocity and the soft breeze from before now turns harsh, as it smacks his face relentlessly.

He quickly rises to his feet and examines his surroundings. How did things turn out like this so fast?

A pelt of water splashes against his cheek. As he expects, those menacing clouds finally gave in. The dam in the heavens breaks and unleashes its drizzle like a monsoon. Riku covers his eyes to keep the ferocious wind out. He's able to squint through his arms, and thus, looking out in the distance he sees the bottle swallowed by the sea like a ravenous nightmare.

His father probably wouldn't be back for another half an hour. With nowhere to go, he takes his chances and hurries into the secret place. He could hear the raging strikes of thunder and the tears of the gods splatter on the powder.

Even in the secret place, the opening from above allows the rain to pour in without any signs of stopping. He hurries and rests his back against the door, shielding his ears from the wrath of the sky outside.

A thought of what would happen if he happens to open this door crosses his mind in the whistle of a moment. Perhaps all his fears may subside if he could only escape from this phantasm of malice. The door may have been the key to lead him to other worlds...

The monstrous cycle continues for what feels like an eternity. He almost feels like he let someone down, and now he has to face this cruel abuse head on—with no one, alone. He feels abandoned in the face of this unjust scourge.

That is, until he hears a voice.

"Riku!"

And not just any voice—her voice.

He lifts his head and finds the familiar redhead by the entrance to the secret place. "Kairi?" He makes sure his tears are nonexistent by the time Kairi catches up to him.

"Come on!" she says. "We can't just stay here!"

"But—"

Before Riku can speak, Sora scurries his way inside as well. "There you guys are! What are you two doing?! We gotta get going!"

Riku stops, his silence, soft as a feather as he looks at them, reminiscent of two angels descended from grace. In his moment of horror, friends became irrelevant. But now, they look as if they are adhered to a warm and welcoming glow, one that brings him reassurance that everything will be okay.

That's right. He's not alone.

Even still, the shame weighs on his shoulders like anchors. He can't help but feel as if this is his fault. Perhaps some angry deity out there disapproved. What else could explain this incident that happens instantly after his naïve attempt at compensation?

"I'm sorry, you guys." He sniffs, feeling the tears beginning to accumulate once more. "It's all my fault!"

Sora and Kairi share worried glances. "What's your fault?" she asks.

"T-The storm...I shouldn't have—the message, I mean—if I had just—"

Kairi hushes him and kneels down to place a hand on his shoulder. Even at such a young age, she is impelled by her motherly instincts. "Riku, it's okay. Don't blame yourself."

"No way!" Sora shakes his head. "That's why we came back up here! To let you know that a storm was coming! My dad brought us out here."

Riku doesn't know why he feels like he did something wrong, but for some reason the moment felt uncanny. Maybe it's just his underdeveloped mind that provoked those thoughts. He feels a little silly. The last thing he wants to do is look vulnerable in front of his two best friends.

"Thanks, you guys. I dunno why I felt that way..."

"No worries!" Sora gives him a thumbs up. "We'll always be here to make sure you're okay! Or my name isn't Sora!"

Kairi giggles, but turns her attention to Riku. "Why do you feel that this is your fault?"

"It happened right after I sent that message. I thought maybe...maybe I didn't do it right."

Sora crosses his arms. "Hmm..."

She rubs his back for comfort. "Maybe your friend just can't get the message right now," Kairi offers sadly.

Riku sighs. "Yeah. I thought so..."

Sora takes a seat next to Riku. They allow silence to consume any needless conversation. Being with each other alone is enough to tranquilize any pending tension. The only noise comes from the dwindling thunderstorm.

Soon, the clouds and their showering assault noticeably settles. They all mutually let out sighs of content and help each other to their feet.

"You okay?" Kairi asks, directing her concerned gaze at Riku.

The memories of the storm remain fresh, but now it's over. He has his two friends by his side. Even Kairi, whom he hardly considered a friend at first, but suddenly her care and concern for him shows him just who she really is.

Her heart radiates with a light that seems to be on par with Sora's. Riku doesn't exactly understand the capacity of such complicated ideas of the heart just yet—but he does know one thing; he regrets not putting both Sora and Kairi on equal levels of friendship sooner.

"I don't really know what's going on, but whatever's bothering you, we'll get you through it. Together!" Sora weaves his hands behind his hair.

Riku can't ask for much better friends than them. He laughs, ruffling young Sora's hair. "Hey, don't turn into a total sap on me, Sora!"

The said boy frowns. "Hey! At least I'm not the one who's scared of thunder! As much..." he adds.

"Hey, I was just worried that you guys would be okay. A thunderstorm doesn't scare me!" He points to himself proudly.

"Oh, what-ever!" Sora accuses.

Kairi notices the rain come to a sudden pause and already little slivers of light creep through the cracks. Watching Sora and Riku's playful bickering brings a chortle out of her. She could definitely get used to this.

Riku and Sora look at her, though this time they wear smiles instead of confusion.

"Hey, what's so funny, missy?" Riku asks.

She shakes her head. "Nothing. I'm just really grateful to have you two as friends."

Sora and Riku share a somewhat puzzled expression, but maintain their grins. They can never figure out why Kairi says such random things like that, but they appreciate it nonetheless.

The energetic brunet runs towards the exit before turning around. "Hey, let's go home."

o-o-o

This world is just too small.

But maybe that's okay. It's the day after the storm, and Riku calmly gazes out into the ocean. He has been staring at the same bottle he sent off to the shore for the past ten minutes. Slowly but surely, it takes its time washing back to the shore. Wherever that mysterious young man was, he must not have been available to receive his message. It's a bit of a chunk to swallow for the hopeful silver-headed boy. His barrel of enthusiasm digested back into a blissful dream.

And perhaps it's best that it stay that way. Maybe the purpose of this incident was to teach him that he isn't ready for adventure yet. He shouldn't try to fast forward his childhood; his best days are yet to come. He'd just have to wait until he grows stronger.

But for now, he's only five. He shouldn't have his mind on something so complicated. There isn't a need for him to grow up so fast. Maybe he'd be okay, relishing in the light his friends have to offer.

But that doesn't mean he'll give up. One day, he's going to find a way off this island.

Such a task may take some time.

He picks up the bottle as it washes up against the shore. Looking back now, the idea seems pointless. He's sure Kairi's intentions were good, but what was he expecting to accomplish? Such a trivial endeavour seemed like hopeful wishing.

"Hey, Riku!"

Riku turns around to find Kairi making her way towards with a face full of energy. Though, it's nothing out of the ordinary. It looks as if she's hiding something behind her back.

He takes a quick gander at the bottle and carelessly tosses it back into the sea before Kairi can see it.

"You finally got here!" she exclaims.

"Yup. Looks like you're here early."

"I set my alarm!" She beams. "Look, I picked you some flowers!"

She presents him a bouquet, unique in selection, full of vibrant colors that blend together harmoniously. Riku never pays much attention to the flowers on their island, but in the back of his mind, he admires their elegance.

Riku takes the bouquet from her and smirks. He isn't too sure what he can really do with flowers, but he appreciates the offer anyway. The kindness shines without any remorse. "Thanks, but what is this for?"

"Just a way of me saying, I'm glad we're friends!" Her expression soon sombers. "And also, I guess it's my way of saying sorry. Maybe that wasn't the best idea to send a letter."

He shakes his head. "No, it was a great idea, Kairi." He turns around and looks up to the sky. "I know in my heart that he's out there, but maybe it just isn't the right way for me." He turns back to her halfway. "But you, on the other hand, I think it's perfect for you."

"Really?" She tilts her head to the side.

He nods. "Trust me. One day, I think you should try it out. Send a message to someone who's really special to you, and I think your light will lead the way."

Kairi isn't necessarily sure what Riku means by all that, but she assumes he means that even though his attempt failed, it doesn't mean that maybe one day she couldn't try it out for herself.

"Okay!" she says. "And about your friend, you'll find him!"

"What makes you say that?"

She walks up towards the shore, lacing her arms behind her back, and looks up to the sky as hope fills her eyes with confidence. "You're the one who told me that they say that every star out there represents another world. So, if that's the case, I'm not sure I understand much, but that means we're all connected in some way, right?" She turns around. "They share the same sky."

He thinks about for a moment, and it amuses him how much she's grown on him in such a short amount of time. "You're right."

Kairi goes back to her bubbly exterior. "Now, all I have to do is think of that special someone to send a message to. I wonder who that might be."

"Hey, Riku!" The two turn heads to find Sora hopping out of his father's boat with an earsplitting grin. He waves his hand wildly, so much so that the two young kids only hope he doesn't end up falling over. "Race you to the paopu tree!"

Sora gets a head start. Without even counting, he sprints towards the shack, believing he's leaving his comrade in the dust.

Riku chuckles. "Maybe that special someone is closer than you think."

Kairi doesn't quite understand what he means by that, but nods with an appreciative smile. Riku, uninterested in Sora's request for a race, calmly walks towards the paopu tree along with Kairi.

"Aw, come on, Riku! You weren't even trying on that one!"

Riku rolls his eyes. Maybe one day, he'll be able to escape this prison surrounded by water. But until then, there's no place like home.

Ten Years Later…

Riku, now fifteen-years-old, rests his back against the paopu fruit tree with his arms folded. He closes his ears and listens to the squawk of the seagulls and the water crashing against the shore.

This world is still too small. In his heart, he appreciates this little place. No matter how much he desires to find his own path, his own destiny—this place holds the foundation for a lot of his precious memories. He thinks back to the times when he and Sora were just little kids and they first discovered the secret place, thinking that there was a monster residing inside. Or the time when he told Sora that there was no such thing as Santa Claus and that kid went off boasting about it to everyone like he just got his first pair of big boy pants.

They shared a lot of memories, ones he'd cherish forever. But now, it's time for him to let this world go. He considers himself old enough to be responsible to take on this journey ahead. Along the way, even Sora and Kairi began to relate to his longing for the outside world, admittedly not to the extinct of Riku's obsession. To this day, Sora constantly bugs Kairi about her hometown, to which she still doesn't remember. But maybe now they can find it.

All he needed to do was open the door.

Or would that be too dangerous? Perhaps, it would be best to start something simple. He doesn't want to put his friends in danger.

Sora and Kairi appear right on cue.

"Hey, Riku, whatcha up to?" Sora asks, grabbing his shoulder.

"Don't touch it, Sora! It looks like it's in super deep mode and that stuff's contagious." Kairi giggles.

"Aw, but Riku's always like this, isn't he?" Sora shrugs with a grin.

Riku smirks. "Afternoon, slackers. Took you guys long enough to get here. Almost thought you two were too busy sharing a paopu fruit."

Sora growls. "Riku, I'm gonna make you eat those—"

"We have a big day ahead of us," Riku cuts off. "I want you guys to start getting a good night's sleep and big breakfast in the morning. We've got a lot of work to do."

Sora yawns as he folds his hands behind his head. "About that, what was it that you wanted us to get here early for, anyway?"

"Uh oh," says Kairi. "I think he has another crazy idea up his sleeve."

"It's part of my charm," Riku responds. "I think we've established that I'm the smart one, Kairi's the sweet and innocent one... and I guess you're just the other one, Sora."

Sora sticks his tongue at him.

Riku shakes his head. "You're such a kid."

"That's Sora! Not kid."

Riku ruffles his unruly hair. "Sure thing, kid."

"Since when did you get so full of yourself?" Kairi asks with a smirk.

"Since I got this new idea a few days ago. Trust me, it's pure genius."

Sora scowls. "The last time you said that, I got grounded for a week."

Riku laughs. "Don't worry, with what I have in mind, you're not gonna have to worry about that kind of stuff. I'm gonna work the both of you pretty hard." He points at Sora accusingly. "Especially you, King Slacker!"

"Huh? Me?" Sora looks at him defensively. "What did I do?"

"You're the worst out of all of us! Knowing you, I'd send you to go look for something to eat and I'd catch you in the shack, taking a nap."

"Tee hee, yeah," Kairi says. "As much of a lovable dork you are, Sora, you sure are a lazy bum!"

"Oh, is that right?" Sora grins at Riku competitively. "I bet that I can work circles around the both of you combined!"

"So you up for the challenge, then?" Riku smirks back.

"Bring it on!" Sora clenches a determined fist.

Kairi sighs, shrugging. "Boys. They never change."

Riku crosses his arms. "Huh. Well, we'll just see about that."

"You still haven't answered the question, Riku," says Kairi. "I know I'm gonna regret asking, but what is it that you have in mind for today?"

Riku scoffs as he turns around. "Well first, I have to kick this slacker into gear." He continues before Sora can retort. "Then, we're gonna start gathering any provisions we need for the trip."

Sora and Kairi share puzzled expression.

"Provisions?" Sora asks. "Provisions for what?"

He chortles. "For the trip, of course. Today, we're gonna start building a raft!"

The End

 **Painted With a Palette** : Woo! Finally got this one done! I would have had it done sooner if it weren't for work getting in the way, blagh. Anyway, I hope you like this one, theysharethesamesky! I only wrote this one because it was a backup just in case she didn't like the first one we wrote. Admittedly, it was just a SoNami that we just made up ourselves because we saw that it's one of her favorite couples. But I felt like it was a little lame we didn't get to do one of her ideas. I'm sure you would might have been looking forward to seeing that, so here you go! I really hope this meets your standards! At first, I started on the Eraqus birthday idea you had, but I couldn't really go anywhere with it XD so then this one was born! Let me know what you think! And thank you for your reviews on Out of Sight!

And now, Two Weeks 'Til Dawn, is complete! Get it? Dawn equals Riku? Kinda fits, maybe? No? Okay.


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